Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) apologized to the Cherokee nation for increasing confusion over tribal citizenship by publishing her DNA tests.
“Senator Warren has reached out to us and has apologized to the tribe,” Executive Director of Cherokee Nation Communications Julie Hubbard told The Hill Friday.
“We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws not through DNA tests. We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end.”
{mosads}Warren’s team did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for confirmation of the apology.
The call to Cherokee Nation, which The Intercept first reported, is the first time Warren has flat-out apologized for using DNA tests.
Warren announced her 2020 presidential campaign on Dec. 31.
In October, Warren announced the results of a DNA test that showed “strong evidence” that she has Native American ancestry, in a move to dispel scrutiny that she had falsely claimed Native American ancestry in the past.
President Trump frequently refers to Warren as “Pocahontas,” a racially charged remark that has drawn intense criticism, and has questioned her heritage.
However, pursuing a DNA test to respond to that kind of criticism quickly drew backlash from some Native American groups who see such genetic tests as problematic, by diminishing an ethnicity and identity to a genealogy test.
Previously she had said that she was “not a person of color,” but did not respond to criticism of how DNA tests perpetuate flawed views of tribal citizenship.